Describe the stasis in the play: where, when, who, what, etc. in a paragraph. This play takes place between July of 1981 and May of 1984 in New York City. The beginning of the play starts off in Dr. Emma Brookner’s office where one of her patients is awaiting his prognosis. There are quite a lot of characters in the story, but the main characters are Ned Weeks, a gay man who is trying to put together an organization for the awareness and research of AIDS, Bruce Niles, the appointed president of said organization, Felix Turner, Ned’s lover and a writer for the Times, and Dr. Emma Brookner, a doctor invested in the AIDS epidemic and is trying to gain funds to further her research. A recent outbreak of a cancer has infected a large population of the gay male community and Dr. Brookner has seen dozens of patients, a high percentage of whom die every day. The premise of the story is how Ned and Dr. Brookner try to work together to gain funds to conduct research to try and stop this plague.
What is the intrusion? I would say the intrusion happens fairly quickly in the story, practically at the beginning when Craig collapses just outside the hospital from the illness and his lover and friends have to carry him in to Dr. Brookner’s office. She claims Craig won’t last very long and he passes away shortly after. This is the action that forces Ned and his friends to start taking action and they know they need to find a way to stop this epidemic, starting with getting the press involved.
What is the unique factor? This is the time period where Ned Weeks gathers his friends to form an organization to help spread awareness and try and gain funds for research for AIDS (though they do not know what the disease is at this time).
What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play? We want to know if this organization ever gets the government on their side and are awarded funding for research to help stop this epidemic. We also want to know how Felix and Ned turn out by the end of the play. They seem to hit it off at the beginning, but their relationship is pretty complicated. We find out that Ned and Felix don’t even have a chance because Felix passes away from the illness by the end of the play, right after they pronounce their vows to each other. We also want to know what happens to Dr. Emma Brookner. In the play, it is never mentioned what happens after Felix passes away, but in reading the Afterword by Larry Kramer, we find out the woman who inspired this character passes away from polio. She’s fearless in the story and not afraid to be around her infected patients because, to her, helping them is much more important than if she is exposed. I think her reasoning is that if she was to pass away, she at least wants to have done everything possible she could have for her patients. Lastly, the most obvious question is do they ever find a cure? We, as the readers, know there still is no cure for AIDS.
Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it. Towards the end of the story, we find out that the head doctor who has the say in giving Dr. Brookner her funding is actually a closeted homosexual, which she blatantly blurts out in rage after his inferior, the examining doctor, relays that they will not be awarding funding to Dr. Brookner. This is the type of exposition where only one character knows something, possibly vital to the story. The other type of exposition, where everyone knows a key piece of information, is that this illness is a plague infecting the homosexual male race and needs to be dealt with. Even though the president at the time didn’t want to admit it, or the New York government didn’t want to help, they still knew an epidemic was going on.
Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be. I think the most theatrical moment is the very end of the play when Felix passes away just seconds after vowing his love for Ned. This scene just knocks the reader in the face and you can’t help but feel a rush of sorrow. Right after, Ned starts yelling about how he should have done more. However, he has his brother with him who helps console him by embracing him and the reader has hope that at least their relationship will become strong afterwards. I think a close second theatrical moment is when Dr. Brookner goes off on the examining doctor. I found this monologue extremely compelling and I was proud of Dr. Brookner for standing up for herself. I really like her character and find her a strong, independent woman who is just trying to do right by her patients and their whole community.
List some of the themes of the play. Some themes would be epidemics, AIDS, love, loss, fighting for what is right, and health vs. politics.
What does Ned want and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of his getting what he wants? At first, Ned wants to stay out of the political eye, even though Dr. Brookner prods him to create an organization to help find a cure for this epidemic since she has heard how big of a voice he has in his community. However, his wants quickly change after his friend, Craig, passes away from the mysterious illness. This is a wake-up call for Ned and he knows he needs to do something. Obviously, he has a large obstacle against the New York City government, who refuses to help him in even the slightest even though dozens of men are dying each week. He also has a short obstacle with Dr. Brookner when they yell at each other for not doing more towards the middle of the play. He also has obstacles against his own organization who turns against him towards the end because they believe he does more harm than good with his short temper and loud mouth. I do not think we see any obstacles against higher powers. However, he does have some struggles with himself with his short temper. I think he knows deep down he needs to settle down, though things keep setting him off, especially Hiram (the mayor’s assistant) and the New York government, in general.
Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play. A possible image could be the baths that Kramer mentions several times in the story. In fact, this is where Felix and Ned first met, though Ned doesn’t recollect this initial meeting. This represents the freedom the gay community has fought for. The men say that places like these are like heaven for them because they can just be themselves and not worry about the outside world. Another image are the purple lesions all of the patients keep contracting on their skin. This represents the disease and we see how all the patients seem to quickly deteriorate after these lesions appear on their skin. Lastly, another image could be Dr. Brookner’s wheelchair. We find out at the beginning of the story that she contracted polio as a young child, just shortly before the vaccine was introduced. I think this makes her even stronger. She doesn’t let the little things bother her and she fights for what she believes in against all odds and obstacles, which is very inspiring.
Briefly define the family relationships that are examined in the play. We see a slightly strained relationship between Ned and his brother, who grew up in a pretty tough childhood, however Ben came out of it as a successful straight lawyer where Ned came out as a gay writer. Ben has a deep belief that this makes Ned “unhealthy” and as much as he tries to support Ned, he can’t seem to overcome this deep feeling. We can assume at the end, the two become closer as Ben is there for Ned and consoles him through the pain of losing Felix. In a way, the entire gay community is family because they are all trying to come together and fight with one another against this epidemic. Though they are a promiscuous group, they seem to accept that and run with it. Even though they fight, just as any other family, they are there for one another when it truly matters.
This play takes place between July of 1981 and May of 1984 in New York City. The beginning of the play starts off in Dr. Emma Brookner’s office where one of her patients is awaiting his prognosis. There are quite a lot of characters in the story, but the main characters are Ned Weeks, a gay man who is trying to put together an organization for the awareness and research of AIDS, Bruce Niles, the appointed president of said organization, Felix Turner, Ned’s lover and a writer for the Times, and Dr. Emma Brookner, a doctor invested in the AIDS epidemic and is trying to gain funds to further her research. A recent outbreak of a cancer has infected a large population of the gay male community and Dr. Brookner has seen dozens of patients, a high percentage of whom die every day. The premise of the story is how Ned and Dr. Brookner try to work together to gain funds to conduct research to try and stop this plague.
What is the intrusion?
I would say the intrusion happens fairly quickly in the story, practically at the beginning when Craig collapses just outside the hospital from the illness and his lover and friends have to carry him in to Dr. Brookner’s office. She claims Craig won’t last very long and he passes away shortly after. This is the action that forces Ned and his friends to start taking action and they know they need to find a way to stop this epidemic, starting with getting the press involved.
What is the unique factor?
This is the time period where Ned Weeks gathers his friends to form an organization to help spread awareness and try and gain funds for research for AIDS (though they do not know what the disease is at this time).
What is the dramatic question that should be answered by the end of the play?
We want to know if this organization ever gets the government on their side and are awarded funding for research to help stop this epidemic. We also want to know how Felix and Ned turn out by the end of the play. They seem to hit it off at the beginning, but their relationship is pretty complicated. We find out that Ned and Felix don’t even have a chance because Felix passes away from the illness by the end of the play, right after they pronounce their vows to each other. We also want to know what happens to Dr. Emma Brookner. In the play, it is never mentioned what happens after Felix passes away, but in reading the Afterword by Larry Kramer, we find out the woman who inspired this character passes away from polio. She’s fearless in the story and not afraid to be around her infected patients because, to her, helping them is much more important than if she is exposed. I think her reasoning is that if she was to pass away, she at least wants to have done everything possible she could have for her patients. Lastly, the most obvious question is do they ever find a cure? We, as the readers, know there still is no cure for AIDS.
Provide an illustration of the two kinds of exposition that the play has in it.
Towards the end of the story, we find out that the head doctor who has the say in giving Dr. Brookner her funding is actually a closeted homosexual, which she blatantly blurts out in rage after his inferior, the examining doctor, relays that they will not be awarding funding to Dr. Brookner. This is the type of exposition where only one character knows something, possibly vital to the story. The other type of exposition, where everyone knows a key piece of information, is that this illness is a plague infecting the homosexual male race and needs to be dealt with. Even though the president at the time didn’t want to admit it, or the New York government didn’t want to help, they still knew an epidemic was going on.
Identify the most theatrical moment in the play and of what importance it seems to be.
I think the most theatrical moment is the very end of the play when Felix passes away just seconds after vowing his love for Ned. This scene just knocks the reader in the face and you can’t help but feel a rush of sorrow. Right after, Ned starts yelling about how he should have done more. However, he has his brother with him who helps console him by embracing him and the reader has hope that at least their relationship will become strong afterwards. I think a close second theatrical moment is when Dr. Brookner goes off on the examining doctor. I found this monologue extremely compelling and I was proud of Dr. Brookner for standing up for herself. I really like her character and find her a strong, independent woman who is just trying to do right by her patients and their whole community.
List some of the themes of the play.
Some themes would be epidemics, AIDS, love, loss, fighting for what is right, and health vs. politics.
What does Ned want and what are some obstacles that stand in the way of his getting what he wants?
At first, Ned wants to stay out of the political eye, even though Dr. Brookner prods him to create an organization to help find a cure for this epidemic since she has heard how big of a voice he has in his community. However, his wants quickly change after his friend, Craig, passes away from the mysterious illness. This is a wake-up call for Ned and he knows he needs to do something. Obviously, he has a large obstacle against the New York City government, who refuses to help him in even the slightest even though dozens of men are dying each week. He also has a short obstacle with Dr. Brookner when they yell at each other for not doing more towards the middle of the play. He also has obstacles against his own organization who turns against him towards the end because they believe he does more harm than good with his short temper and loud mouth. I do not think we see any obstacles against higher powers. However, he does have some struggles with himself with his short temper. I think he knows deep down he needs to settle down, though things keep setting him off, especially Hiram (the mayor’s assistant) and the New York government, in general.
Describe some possible images in the play and how does the title help us understand the play.
A possible image could be the baths that Kramer mentions several times in the story. In fact, this is where Felix and Ned first met, though Ned doesn’t recollect this initial meeting. This represents the freedom the gay community has fought for. The men say that places like these are like heaven for them because they can just be themselves and not worry about the outside world. Another image are the purple lesions all of the patients keep contracting on their skin. This represents the disease and we see how all the patients seem to quickly deteriorate after these lesions appear on their skin. Lastly, another image could be Dr. Brookner’s wheelchair. We find out at the beginning of the story that she contracted polio as a young child, just shortly before the vaccine was introduced. I think this makes her even stronger. She doesn’t let the little things bother her and she fights for what she believes in against all odds and obstacles, which is very inspiring.
Briefly define the family relationships that are examined in the play.
We see a slightly strained relationship between Ned and his brother, who grew up in a pretty tough childhood, however Ben came out of it as a successful straight lawyer where Ned came out as a gay writer. Ben has a deep belief that this makes Ned “unhealthy” and as much as he tries to support Ned, he can’t seem to overcome this deep feeling. We can assume at the end, the two become closer as Ben is there for Ned and consoles him through the pain of losing Felix. In a way, the entire gay community is family because they are all trying to come together and fight with one another against this epidemic. Though they are a promiscuous group, they seem to accept that and run with it. Even though they fight, just as any other family, they are there for one another when it truly matters.